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Operation Fumigation
"Operation Fumigation" was an Alpha Clan military campaign that lasted a little over a decade. Following Operations Achilles and Myrmidon, "Fumigation" was meant to hunt down and eradicate any remaining remnants of the Zeta Clan: Survivors, supporters, etc. The campaign was never officially named, but lower ranked Dragoons involved began sarcastically and pejoratively calling it "Operation Fumigation" as a joke. The name somehow stuck. Although no official documentation labels the operation by this name, the name is commonly used to refer to the campaign. Background Operation Achilles proved to be a success: The Zeta Clan was ultimately destroyed. All of Zeta territory was seized. And the Zeta Naval Fleet was also seized. Operation Myrmidon, although proving troublesome, also ended with an Alpha Clan victory. Although the Alpha Clan took heavy losses over the course of several months during the operation, the remaining Zeta Clan survivors on the isle of Haiphe eventually surrendered. The Alpha Clan Intelligence knew that it wasn't the end of the conflict, however. After Operation Achilles, it was well known that many Zeta survivors (both Dragoon and human supporters) survived the attack and fled from Zeta territory. From the start Alpha leadership knew it wouldn't be an easy task, but they knew that they would have to act to put an end to the Zetas once and for all. The Campaign Following the events of Operation Achilles and Operation Myrmidon, the Alpha Clan set out to eliminate all Zeta survivors and sympathizers. Impressed with his actions as Warlord during Operation Achilles, Chieftain Bloomer appointed the young Warlord Nathaniel McQuade from 24th Battalion to coordinate the campaign. 12th, 35th, and 47th Battalions were ordered to sweep through deeper portions of the Northern Reach and push down into the far stretches of the Western Reach. Deshi Cao, newly appointed warlord of the 12th Battalion, would be tasked with commanding this part of the campaign. 17th, 38th, and 73rd Battalions were ordered to sweep through the southern portions of the Northern Reach, eventually sweeping down to the Southern Reach and the southern areas of the Western Reach. Desmond Gray, warlord of the 73rd Battalion, would be tasked of this part of the campaign. 53rd and 62nd Battalions were ordered to sweep down through the Eastern Reach, following the coast through the Southern Reach until they hit the Western Reach. Gregor Purifoy, warlord of the 53rd Battalion, would be tasked with commanding this part of the campaign. McQuade and 24th Battalion tailed behind Cao and Gray, coordinating and reinforcing as needed. On the surface, the campaign went rather smoothly, with all battalions reporting back strong results. The campaign officially ended with the Battle of Patna, where the Alpha Clan declared that any trace of Zeta was wiped out completely. Aftermath Although the Alpha Clan leadership would never admit it, they were very wrong when they declared that the campaign was over. There were still many Zeta survivors and sympathizers who managed to slip away from Alpha detection. Unfortunately for Alpha, the campaign caused those who opposed them to band together and begin to build the foundation of the White Horse organization. Warlord McQuade was later named Field Marshal of the operations in the Northern and Western Reaches. The Name The campaign was carried out without any official name. Annoyed with the tediousness of the campaign, many lower ranked Dragoons began joking about how it felt like a prolonged fumigation: They were seeking out the pests, and it was taking way too long to find them. Although it is nearly impossible to link it to any particular squad, the phrase "Operation Fumigation" started circulation among the squads and companies involved. Although the name had a pejorative meaning attached to it, even hauptmanns and warlords found themselves referring to the campaign as "Operation Fumigation." Despite there being no official name, the majority of the Alpha Clan began to refer to it was "Fumigation." Due to the condescending insinuations of the name, Alpha leadership never penalized Dragoons for using the name.